The Stanshall Videos

Keith Moon & Vivian Stanshall

Trouser Testing

Vivian once told me that he and Keith Moon used to make surreal jokes for their own amusement. They would enter high-priced men’s clothes shops asking for a pair of strong trousers. Of course the keen to please sales assistant would find a pair robust trousers such as double elephant cords for them to try out and Moon would take hold of one leg while Vivian took the other. Then in a ferocious tug of war they would rip the trousers into two and throw the ruined pieces onto the floor in disgust and storm out of the shop complaining that the trousers were poor quality and lacked strength.

Now Moon and Viv had a one legged friend who they would keep loitering around outside and after their departure this fellow would hop into the shop and up to the distraught sales assistant and politely ask for two pairs on one legged trousers.